Bathysiredon dumerilii queretarensis

Bathysiredon dumerilii queretarensis Maldonado Koerdell, 1948

Maldonado Koerdell (1948b) reported two specimens that Smith & Necker (1943) described as Ambystoma larvae. These specimens were labeled from “San Juan del Río, Guanajuato”, according to Smith & Necker (1943). But Maldonado Koerdell (1948b) stated that they were from “San Juan del Río (Qro.)”, arguing that Smith & Necker (1943) put them in the state of Guanajuato rather than in Queretaro, where a city called San Juan del Río is well known. Although there is a small town named San Juan del Río in the state of Guanajuato, in the municipality of Pénjamo (N 20.314029º, W 101.734933º, INEGI 2015) we do not believe that the specimens could have come from this locality, because there is no a lake there (only a dam, probably recently built) and the population of this town is only 38 (http://www.microrregiones.gob.mx/catloc/contenido.aspx?refnac=110230632).

Maldonado Koerdell referred to these specimens as cotypes (syntypes) and described them; they are catalogued as HE 1184–1185 (Fig. 9 D, 10A). Brandon (1992) questioned the validity of this taxon and provides ample discussion on the matter. We concur with Brandon (1992) that this taxon should be synonymized with A. dumerilii . However, the specimens shown in Figures 9 D, 10A do not coincide with Maldonado-Koerdell’s description; one of us (OFV, personal notes) checked the holotypes in 1985 and his recollection is that they looked like A. dumerilii . We do not believe that specimens HE 1184–1185 (Fig. 9 D, 10A) correspond to the taxon in question. Our conclusion is that both syntypes are lost.

Current valid name: Ambystoma dumerilii (Dugès, 1870) .